Garment-form.



D. H. SHAPIRO.

GARMENT FORM.

APPLICATION man MAR.9.191|5.

l ,205,801 Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

v 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

D. H. SHAPIRO.

GARMENT FORM.

APPLlcATloN FILED MAR` 9, 1915.

1,205,801 Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

,Wye/Mor DAVID H. sHArI-Ro, or MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.-

GARMNT-FORM.

neoasoi.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Application filed March 9, 1915. Serial No. 13,197.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, DAVID H. SHAPIRO, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, and

resident of the city of Montreal, in the' Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Forms, of which the following is a full., clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in garment forms, and the object is to provide a simple, inexpensive, strong and easily operated form which will hold garments such as coats, waists and the like in their natural shape during display or storage in boxes, and is designed as an improvement of the device shown in my 'former patent application, Serial Number 836,364..

The device consists essentially of a card cut at the upper portion to the shape of garment shoulders, and divided at the bottom into a plurality of tongues, which may be overlapped and interlocked with one another to be mutually supporting and to im part curvature to the sheet resembling the curvature of the human body.

It has been found by experience that the ordinary garment form such as shown in my former application has the disadvantage that the central tongue is unsupported between' its ends, and not being surface curved as are the side tongues, it has a tendency to sag in the middle. Furthermore, downward pressure on the convex side of the form has a tendency to Hatten out the form, bringing the adjacent edges of the side tongues'closer together. In the present invention, these disadvantages are overcome by forming slots and lateral interengaging portions or members in the central tongue for the reception of the side tongues, or vice versa, so that the central tongue is supported intermediate its ends and the side tongues maintained a proper distance apart.

In the drawings which illustrate the inventionz-Figure 1 is a plan view of the card in one form as seen in flat condition. Fig. 2 shows a development of the form, shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 showsa further modification. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the card shown in Fig. 2, erected to operative form. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing a slight modification of the interlocking means, Fig.' 6 is a plan View showing the side tongue engaging members formed in a slightly different manner. Fig. 7 shows members similar to those in Fig. G formed on the side tongues in place of the center tongue. Fig. S shows lateral slots similar to those of Figs. 1 and 2, formed in the side tongues. F ig. 9 shows a multiplication oi these lateral slots in either the side or center tongues.

Referring more particularly to the draw-V ings, 11 designates a sheet of cardboard or other suitable material having sloping upper edge-s 12 shaped to represent the human shoulders, and a central neck tab 13. The lower portion of the card is divided longie tudinally into a central tongue 14 and a pair of similar side tongues 15 separated from the central tongue by slits 16, terminating at their upper ends in substantially circular apertures 17. The lower portion of the central tongue is provided with a slit 1S for the reception of hooks 19 formed on the lower extremities of the side tongues. Thus, when the side tongues are brought into overlapping relation over the central tongue, as shown in dotted lines, the card is bent to convex form, and so held by engagement of the hooks in the slit. Intermediate its ends, the central tongue is provided on each side with a lateral slit 20 Aoi appreciable width and of such depth that the end of the slit will coincide with the edge of the side tongue when the form is erected. It will be readily seen that these slits produce lateral engaging portions or members 21 on the sides of the central tongue extending from the lateral slits to the closed ends of the longitudinal slits. The edges 22 of the center tongue above the slits 9.0 are cut away in a smooth curve as shown.

In Fig. 2, a form is shown exactly similar to Fig. 1, except that the central tongue is much shortened by removal of the greater portion of material below the lateral slits 20. The side tongues interlock with one another instead of with the central tongue.

In Fig. 3, a form is shownsimilarin its upper portion to Figs. 1 and 2, but differing in the lower part in that the ends of the side tongues curve inwardly, as at 23, and the end of the central tongue is tapered and provided with a pair of lateral projecting hooks 24.

In Fig. 5, the side tongues in place of being each provided with a hook are arranged one with a. hook and. the .other with a Slot 25. This arrangement may be used with any of the forms, eXcept that shown 1n Fig. 3.

In erecting the device, the ends of the side tongues are drawn toward one another over the central tongue and hooked into the slot 18 in Fig. 1, into the hooks 24C on the remote side of the central tongue in Fig. 3, and into one another in the remaining figures. During this movement of the side tongues, the lower ends are drawn over the lower portion of the central tongue, the side tongues being introduced into the slits 20, so that the engaging portions 21 of the central tongue overlie the side tongues. The result is that the central tongue is supported by the side tongues intermediate its ends and the side tongues are rigidly spaced apart, thus very materially resisting collapse of the form under pressure. The form shown in Fig. 1 may be preferable on account of slightly greater strength, while theV form shown in Fig. 2 may be preferable on account of considerable reduction in the cost, the shortened central tongue permitting the neXt sheet to be cut with the neck tongue 13 thereof projecting between the side tongues, as shown in dotted lines. It will be seen that the side tongues may be interlocked with one another instead of with the central tongue of Figs. 1 and 3, and also that in Figs. 2, and 4 to 9, one of the side tongues may be provided with a slit into which the other tongue hooks and locks. The form shown in Fig. 3 is useful where eXtreme curvature of the sheet is desired. Any of the forms shown may be strengthened by the formation of a lateral crease 26 between thek opening 17, which may be straight as shown in Fig. 1, or curvedas in Fig. 3.

In Figs. 6 and 7, the interengaging members instead of being formed by cutting lateral slits 2O from the edge of a tongue are formed by cutting suitably curved slits 27 in the body of the tongue, terminating in apertures 28 similar to the apertures 17, separating the engaging members 29 from the body of the tongue. Fig. 6 shows this type of lateral engaging member formed in the central tongue, and Fig. 7 shows it formed in the side tongues. So far as the function of Vthis member 29 is concerned, there is probably little to choose between it and the form shown in Fig. 1. y

In Fig. 8, the idea of Fig. 7 is carried out with respect to the lateral slit 20 which is new formed in the side'tongues in place of the central tongue, and designated 30, thus forming on the side tongues an engaging and supporting member 31 extending from these lateral slits to the aperture 17.

In Fig. 9, a plurality of lateral slits designated 20EL and 30a are shown on the left formed in the central tongue and on the right formed in the side tongue, and dividing the tongues into a plurality of engaging members 21at and 31, corresponding to the members 21 and 3l.

The method of erecting the sheet into operable form is in each instance very simple. In Figs. 1, 2 and, the engaging and supporting members :21 are superposed on the side tongues and the side tongues superposed on the lower part of the central tongue. In Fig. 8, the reverse occurs, the central tongue is superposed on the supporting portions 31. In Fig. G, the engaging members 29v aresuperposed on the side tongues, while in Fig. 7, these members are depressed and the center tongues slippedl between the members and side tongues, or in other words, superposed on the supporting members.

Itwill be seen from the foregoing description and the drawings that in every instance, the lateral interengaging and supporting members and slits separating them are arranged to form a means of interen- 'gagement between the central and side tongues, supporting the center tongue and holding the side tongues a predetermined distance apart. This feature forms the essence of the invention, and it must be understood that while a variety of possible arrangements have been shown and described, the invention is in no way llimited to these forms, but must vbe held to include any means which produces similar results.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In afgarment form, a sheet of material divided longitudially to .form a central tongue and a pair of side tongues, means for locking said side tongues together in overlapping position, and means on the central tongue coperating with the side tongues for supporting said central tongue upon said side tongues comprising recesses in the edges of the central tongue into which the side tongues are adapted to iit.

2. In a garment form, a sheet of material divided longitudinally to formV a central tongue and a pair of side tongues, means for lockinr said side ton ues together in overlapping position, and means on the central tongue coperating with the side tongues for supporting said central tongue upon said side tongues comprising a plurality of laterally projecting members on the central tongue between which said side tongues are adapted to pass.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two witnesses,

DAVID II. SHAPIRO. Witnesses:

C. W. TAYLOR, S. R. W. ALLEN.

Copies of this patent 4may be Obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 91.3 tstents Washington, D. G. 

